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Funding for PhD applicants is available from a range of sources on a competitive basis.

Follow the links in the table to find full details regarding eligibility, available finance, application methods and closing dates. Follow us on X and Facebook to hear when we have added new studentship opportunities. 

Download our comprehensive guide to PhD study

Funding opportunity Subject area
Application deadline  Availability
PhD studentship: DIVIDED: Inequality and Polarization Prevention Politics and International Relations 31 October 2024 Open to UK applicants
EPSRC Mathematics for our Future Climate Centre for Doctoral Training
Mathematics
10 November 2024 Open to applicants worldwide
ESRC SEDarc Doctoral Training Partnership (social sciences)
Agri-food Economics | Development Studies | Architecture and Built Environment | Business and Management | Economics | Education | Linguistics | Geography and Environmental Studies | Politics and International Relations | Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences
16 December 2024 Open to applicants worldwide
China Scholarship Council Studentships
Students from China, see external website for eligible areas 
3 January 2025
Applicants from China 
University International PhD Studentships 
All disciplines
6 January 2025
Open to international applicants 

Doctoral Loans 

Apply for a loan of up to £29,390 for 2024/25

All disciplines

Full or part-time study, including by Distance

Ongoing Open to UK nationals, Irish citizens and EU nationals settled under the EU settlement scheme
Department of Meteorology PhD Scholarships Meteorology Ongoing Open to applicants worldwide
Alumni Discount

Current undergraduate and master's students at Reading

Alumni of the University

Ongoing Open to University of Reading alumni

Commonwealth Scholarships for PhD

Any discipline (see external website for further details) Please check external website for details about scholarships Open to applicants from  low and middle income Commonwealth countries

Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships

 

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (Awards in biological sciences are limited to interdisciplinary research between physical and biological sciences)

Please check external website for details about scholarships Female applicants only

Marshall Scholarships

Archaeology | Climate, environmental sciences and sustainability | Food security | Human nutrition | Language, cognition and the mind See external website for further details Applicants from the USA

US Loans and Federal Aid

All disciplines Ongoing Applicants from the USA
Canadian grants, loans and scholarships All disciplines Ongoing Applicants from Canada

Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund

Various Please check external website for details about scholarships Applicants from Canada
Inlaks Scholarships Many disciplines Please check external website for details about scholarships Applicants from India
The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding Web resource for candidates who have already applied to study at the University of Reading Various Varies depending in funding scheme
NERC SCENARIO Doctoral Training Partnership (environmental science-related areas)
Agriculture, Policy and Development | Archaeology | Biological Sciences | Chemistry | Geography | Environmental Sciences | Mathematics and Statistics | Meteorology
Currently closed for applications, please check back in October 2024 for details of funding for 2025/26
Open to applicants worldwide
Earth System Prediction Doctoral Training Programme
 Meteorology, Mathematics and Computer Science Currently closed for applications, please check back in October 2024 for details of funding for 2025/26
Open to applicants worldwide
AHRC SWW Doctoral Training Partnership Studentships for the Arts and Humanities 
Archaeology | Art | Classics | Cultural Geography | English Language and Literature | Film, Theatre and Television | History | History of Art | Law and Legal Studies| Modern Languages and European Studies | Philosophy | Political Studies and International Relations | Political Philosophy | Typography
Currently closed for applications, please check back in October 2024 for details of funding for 2025/26
Open to applicants worldwide
BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership in FoodBioSystems
Agriculture | Biological & Biomedical Sciences | Chemistry | Food and Nutritional Sciences | Geography  and Environmental Sciences | Pharmacy 
Currently closed for applications, please check back in October 2024 for details of funding for 2025/26
Open to applicants worldwide
Felix Scholarships
Many disciplines 
Currently closed for applications, please check back in Autumn 2024 for details of funding for 2025/26  Open to Indian nationals
Henley Business School PhD Scholarships
International Business & Strategy | Marketing and Reputation | Leadership, Organisations & Behaviour | Business Informatics, Systems & Accounting | Finance and Capital Markets (ICMA Centre) | Real Estate and Planning
Currently closed for applications, please check back in Autumn 2024 for details of funding for 2025/26 
Open to applicants worldwide